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DAYTONA BEACH – Sam Newpher was already on his lawnmower long before Regan Smith finished posing for pictures in Victory Lane Saturday after winning the DRIVE4COPD 300 at the Daytona International Speedway.

As the grounds supervisor, he had a lot of divots to replace around the track and a lot of grass to cut.

A crash after the finish sent several cars sliding through the infield grass near the first turn. At 3,400 pounds, they ripped huge chunks of turf.

By the time fans arrive for Sunday’s Daytona 500, and long before television cameras go live, Newpher will make everything look pristine again.

“Race cars leave big divots,” Newpher said.

Holes can be replaced with sod if the damage is 15 feet away from the asphalt. Any closer, the turbulence of a 195 mph race car would lift the grass like a hairpiece in a wind storm, Newpher said.

Divots near the track are filled with a mixture of green sand and older grass clippings.

The infield grass has a design created by light- and dark-colored grasses. The design, checkered flags at both ends with a starburst in the middle, aren’t created by a mower. They’re created by different types of grasses.

“We use Bermuda and we add a mixture of two types of rye grass,” Newpher said.

Newpher, who worked with the Atlanta Braves grounds crew for 15 years, said the infield portion in front of the main grandstands is four acres. But there is another 595 acres of grass that need his attention at the speedway.

The infield portion near the track is cut every night during race week. Even as race teams celebrate a few feet away.